I am a big fan of the original Vacation films and 80's comedy in general. There was something fresh and unique about those comedies and how "raunchy" they were for the time. And I happen to think we saw some of the most brilliant comedians during that decade and whether you all agree or not, Chevy Chase was part of that. He has an indelible comedic timing and his doofus, klutzy, lovable Clark Griswold is a legend. So I was cautiously optimistic about a reboot of this franchise. The concept made sense and the cast sounded good for a new generation but I wondered what it would be like. Nowadays comedies go straight for the ridiculous toilet humour and they drive it down your throat. Body functions and sex jokes and nudity and drugs and complete stupidity. Technically Vacation has a lot of that. It is raunchy (though I've seen worse in the last few years) and a lot of the gags seem really stupid but when you look closely you'll see that I think the film makers were actually trying to capture the essence of the National Lampoon films and I think they almost pull it off. I saw so much of the original ideas and gags in this film but the biggest problem is that they feel a little stale now and it doesn't really fit into nowadays very well.
Ed Helms plays Rusty Griswold, the patriarch of the family. The biggest issue with Helms' performance is that he tries too hard to be Chevy Chase. In some ways it works because he is supposed to be Chase's son but it feels too much like copying. Helms has good comic timing but he has to have someone else to play off of and no one feeds him right so he is awkward in the role. Still, I'm not sure anyone else could have done any better. Christina Applegate is Rusty's wife and she is very good in the role. She doesn't quite fit with Helms right but they have okay chemistry and this isn't her best comic role but she pulls it off decently. Both actors are trying to find their place in an average script. Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins play their sons and as MANY reviewers have pointed out both boys are annoying. Stebbins go-to gag of being foul mouthed is just obnoxious and not funny at all and Gisondo's geek role is reminiscent of the far better played We're The Millers role of Kenny. Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann have small roles that are decent but nothing to write home about.
The thing to remember with Vacation is I honestly think they tried very hard. I have to give them kudos because I don't think this was a cash grab, I really think they wanted to pay homage to the original series, reboot it for a new generation and make something memorable. I can see why some people (especially the younger generation) would not like this at all because it does have the same vibe of the original films and in fact has some gags that you simply wouldn't get without seeing the original. You have two guys who co-wrote the script and co-directed and neither one have virtually any experience directing. Jon Goldstein and John Daley try very hard but I don't think they have what it takes at this point to really make this stand out. The film feels too dry and stale and messy. It needs a lot of editing and a lot of experience for someone to fine tune this into what it should have been. I still enjoyed it for what it was and I was able to see the respect paid to the originals. I was most excited to see Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in cameo roles and both were very small and Chase seemed completely out of place. So if you're a big fan of the National Lampoon's classic then you'll get something out of it, otherwise its mostly a miss. 7/10
Ed Helms plays Rusty Griswold, the patriarch of the family. The biggest issue with Helms' performance is that he tries too hard to be Chevy Chase. In some ways it works because he is supposed to be Chase's son but it feels too much like copying. Helms has good comic timing but he has to have someone else to play off of and no one feeds him right so he is awkward in the role. Still, I'm not sure anyone else could have done any better. Christina Applegate is Rusty's wife and she is very good in the role. She doesn't quite fit with Helms right but they have okay chemistry and this isn't her best comic role but she pulls it off decently. Both actors are trying to find their place in an average script. Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins play their sons and as MANY reviewers have pointed out both boys are annoying. Stebbins go-to gag of being foul mouthed is just obnoxious and not funny at all and Gisondo's geek role is reminiscent of the far better played We're The Millers role of Kenny. Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann have small roles that are decent but nothing to write home about.
The thing to remember with Vacation is I honestly think they tried very hard. I have to give them kudos because I don't think this was a cash grab, I really think they wanted to pay homage to the original series, reboot it for a new generation and make something memorable. I can see why some people (especially the younger generation) would not like this at all because it does have the same vibe of the original films and in fact has some gags that you simply wouldn't get without seeing the original. You have two guys who co-wrote the script and co-directed and neither one have virtually any experience directing. Jon Goldstein and John Daley try very hard but I don't think they have what it takes at this point to really make this stand out. The film feels too dry and stale and messy. It needs a lot of editing and a lot of experience for someone to fine tune this into what it should have been. I still enjoyed it for what it was and I was able to see the respect paid to the originals. I was most excited to see Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in cameo roles and both were very small and Chase seemed completely out of place. So if you're a big fan of the National Lampoon's classic then you'll get something out of it, otherwise its mostly a miss. 7/10